Design Principles
Eco-house design is a fairly recent development which started getting off the ground in the UK during the mid 1990s.more +/-»
Although you will probably end up using an architect or designer for your final plans there is no substitute for being clear about what you want. Especially with eco-house design, you may have to do quite a lot of research before you can get your design down on paper.
Essentially eco design has concentrated on the following areas:
- Conservation of energy.
- While it is being built (this is known as embodied energy)
- During its lifetime
- Upon demolition
- Reduction of CO2 emissions.
- Sustainability of building materials.
- Habitat protection.
- Avoidance of pollution.
- Conservation of water.
- Health and wellbeing of the occupants.
Green design of houses can fall into two categories:
- Design that is mainly beneficial to the health and wellbeing of the occupants.
- Design that takes into consideration a wide variety of ecological considerations.
While these categories can overlap and are not mutually exclusive it is worth being aware that they don’t always correspond with each other. Some examples of where they might diverge or overlap are as follows:
- The use of natural materials may be healthier for the occupants but may result in environmental damage or a high transport burden. For instance the use of real marble kitchen worktops.
- The use of sustainably produced timber can result in locking up carbon at the same time as being a pleasant and healthy material to live with.
- Recycled newspaper insulation such as Warmcell also locks up carbon, has very low embodied energy and contributes to the comfort of the occupants.
- Living roofs may improve the habitat for many species at the same time as providing a more visually interesting experience for the house owner and neighbours.
Since then it has taken hold of the public imagination particularly through the printed media, the TV and internet, and has recently hit the mainstream exhibition world with Eco-Build at Earls Court.
It has recently been embraced by a few of the more forward-looking developers and builders and the government has been busy making statements about how all new housing will be zero carbon in the near future. The building regulations have tightened up a bit regarding insulation levels and every politician and architect claims to be a champion of the subject, whether they know anything about it or not. There are various (sometimes competing) sets of standards now in place by which buildings can be judged. The government and its agencies are busily producing publications to explore the subject.
It does seem that change is happening at an enormous rate and that if the government’s goal of all new housing in the UK being zero carbon by the year 2016 there will have to be an unprecidented step change, not only within the building industry as a whole but also for self builders.
Some would ask whether the goal of zero carbon housing is possible on a widespread basis and whether a slightly lower standard like the Passivhaus standard is maybe a bit more realistic. When you look at web sites such as Zero Carbon Hub you realize that they are saying very little (check the links) and there is the suspicion that no-one is really committed to moving the process forward in the UK. Watch out for wriggle room.
